Chapter 390 - 255: The Next Subject—Romantic Love

Chapter 390: Chapter 255: The Next Subject—Romantic Love

"I could never accept that. Lin Chu... do you even know how to love someone?"

She replied, her logic clear and her tone measured.

Looking at the message, Lin Chu knew that, in a way, she was right.

After all, it had started with lust. He had used an almost shameless method to force his way into her heart. The foundation of their relationship was too weak, and because of one thing or another, they never had a chance to build on it.

"I don’t. So... let’s break up."

They had made it official when they got together, so now that they were breaking up, Lin Chu said the words without hesitation.

’Chalk it up to experience.’

’I was probably more to blame.’

But he shamelessly hardened his heart and forgave himself.

"You...! You already have another girlfriend, don’t you?"

Liao Meili texted back.

She felt it was highly likely.

"If I wanted one, I could have one at any time... After the contract is up, the guest room business at the LC Club will be yours. But between us, I don’t want any more strings attached."

"I don’t need it! Thanks, but no thanks! I won’t accept you trying to pay off your guilt with money. You’re just a scumbag! We’re through! I must have been blind!"

Liao Meili cursed.

A few seconds after seeing the message, Lin Chu was surprised to find that she had already blocked him.

He lit a cigarette, sighed, and shook his head with a wry smile.

But in his heart, he also felt a quiet sense of relief.

’Strong-willed women are really a handful.’

Objectively speaking, he had been the one to pursue Liao Meili. From the very beginning, their expectations had been misaligned.

’So... this is for the best.’

...

That left two.

One was Liang Jieyu.

The other was Gu Jiayan.

Both had started as secretaries, one at the club and the other at the corporate headquarters.

Liang Jieyu had a clear understanding of her own position. She was a smart woman and didn’t mind not having an official title. Being a canary in a gilded cage was fine with her; she just wanted a child.

He’d bought her a house and a car, and he gave her plenty of money.

’Then let her be a vine clinging to a great tree, living in peace.’

...

As for Gu Jiayan...

Lin Chu felt that most of her affection for him stemmed from his various charitable endeavors. That pure, instinctive, from-the-heart kind of love hadn’t been particularly ardent from the start.

That was normal, too. After all, their statuses were unequal from the start, and she instinctively resisted this type of relationship. She was a woman who valued her pride and dignity.

’Focusing on charity is good, too.’

...

’Am I not fucking handsome enough?’

’Or did something go wrong somewhere?’

’Isn’t there a single woman out there who likes me purely because I’m handsome, have a great body, am interesting, and have good taste?’

’The kind who’s head-over-heels in love with me?’

’The kind whose eyes fill with stars the moment she sees me?’

Having thoroughly sorted through all his relationships, the thought surfaced in Lin Chu’s mind once again, and he fell into another round of contemplation.

Chen Jinyu didn’t count... she was a hopeless romantic who’d already had an unforgettable first love. Now, she was just in a hurry to get married.

Jiang Ya was because her brother was hospitalized and needed money for surgery; she had essentially "sold" herself to him.

Fang Yichun was pushed on him by her sister, Zhao Rong, who wanted to curry favor with him—a clear power play.

Yang Huixian started with a transaction—that Jade Necklace—and was then reeled in by his schemes.

Liao Meili was because of his schemes and the atmosphere he created at the time.

Liang Jieyu was because of money and her attraction to power.

Gu Jiayan was because of charity and other external factors.

As for the others, it was even more of the same: because of the Lamborghini, because he was rich, because he was the guy who bought drinks for the whole bar, because he threw money around like it was nothing...

—Wealth, of course, is something everyone loves.

—But who will love your true soul?

—Who will stand by you when you have nothing, and even help you get back on your feet?

Thinking of this, Lin Chu smiled again, lit another cigarette, and exhaled a long plume of smoke.

Right now, there really wasn’t anyone.

It was like that classic saying from the world of soccer—glory brings fair-weather fans, but your decline reveals the true believers.

When times are good, everything is easy.

But life isn’t always smooth sailing.

"Next project—romantic love!"

Lin Chu clenched his fist and muttered to himself. He then wiped the blackboard clean, opened his office door, and strode out.

...

The LC Group headquarters was laid out with Lin Chu’s office and the Executive Office suite on the top floor.

The 1st floor was the reception lobby.

Floors 2-6 were currently planned for the Charity Foundation, Security, Media, Club, and Retail divisions, respectively.

The 7th floor was the fitness area, taking up the entire level.

The 8th floor held the common meeting rooms and shared office spaces.

The 9th floor was the Investment Division.

Floors 10-19 were mostly empty for now, planned as office space for the headquarters’ central services.

It was a relatively standard layout for a corporate headquarters.

Lin Chu, of course, had no objections to any of this. He walked out of his office and went straight to a treadmill in the 7th-floor fitness area, deciding to knock out ten kilometers first.

His mind was still fixated on that question—where was she? The woman who would love him purely, from the bottom of her heart, without reservation, for reasons other than his status or wealth... and who he, in turn, could actually find worthy?

’Damn, this really isn’t something money can solve.’

’Maybe it really just comes down to fate.’

On the treadmill, Lin Chu set the speed to 9 and began to run hard.

Deep down, he knew this line of thinking was proud, rather melodramatic, and even arrogant. ’Out of all the people in the world, why should you, of all people, be lucky enough to find someone like that?’

But life was a vast ocean, and the road ahead was still long...

’I’ll just have to wait and see.’

...

...